Beam Diagnostics Engineer

What You Will Do

The Instrumentation and Controls Group (AOT-IC) within the Accelerator Operations and Technology (AOT) Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking a motivated R&D Engineer to support diagnostics for the LANSCE accelerator. The LANSCE Accelerator's beam instrumentation suite includes, but is not limited to, Beam Position & Phase Monitors (BPPMs), Wirescanners, Emittance Scanners, Energy Degrader/Faraday Cups, and Camera/phosphor systems. The successful applicant will support design, modeling, implementation, verification and testing of electrical circuits or FPGAs;

modify, upgrade and maintain existing LANSCE beam diagnostic instrumentation; evaluate legacy control systems; contribute to updated architectures enhancing reliability, maintainability, and performance; support system integration; prepare technical documentation; participate in design reviews; coordinate with multidisciplinary teams; oversee installation, testing, and commissioning activities.

The selected individual must be willing to work occasionally at odd hours and will assume 24‑hour on‑call support of AOT-IC accelerator hardware.

Responsibilities include design, prototype, test, installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of beam diagnostic instrumentation systems; documentation activities such as system documentation, schematics, and procedures; following established safety and security requirements.

In addition to the responsibilities of R&D Engineer 1, independent application of systems engineering principles through the project lifecycle, leading development of projects from conceptual design to close‑out, expanding capabilities, contributing to continuous improvement and modernization of accelerator diagnostics, and collaborating with accelerator physicists, operations, and engineers to improve diagnostic performance and system reliability.

• Fundamental knowledge of analog and digital electronics, signal processing, and circuit analysis
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary technical environment
• Strong communication and problem‑solving skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of high‑speed data acquisition and real‑time systems
• Experience developing, testing, or supporting instrumentation, controls, or experimental systems
• Experience with advanced design and analysis tools, such as schematic capture tools, analog or digital simulation tools, and signal integrity analysis tools
• Ability to independently execute technical tasks and contribute to engineering projects

Education and experience for R&D Engineer 1:
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution related to the occupation combined with two years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and technical experience directly related to the occupation.

Education and experience for R&D Engineer 2:
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and four years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

• Familiarity with EPICS, LabVIEW, DSP, FPGA‑based systems, or embedded electronics
• Experience with accelerator instrumentation, diagnostics, or similar large‑scale scientific systems
• Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation such as oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and network analyzers

Along with your resume, please include a detailed cover letter explaining how you meet each of the minimum requirements and any of the desired qualifications.

The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the…